Life-saving raft.



S. M. ROHRER. LIFE SAVING RAFT.

APPLICA TION FILED MAY 22, 1915.

Patent ed Dec. 28,1915.

3 SHEETSSHEET I.

COLUMBIA PLANOGRAPH CO WASPHNGTDN, n. c

S. M. ROHRER.

LIFE SAVING RAFT.

APPLICATION man MAY 22. 1915.

1,166,080. Patented Dec.28,1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

'muewto'a S-M- R'oHFzEFa COLUMBIA PLANoGnAr-H CO.,WASHINUTON. 1) cv S.M. ROHRER.

LIFE SAVING RAFT.

APPLlCATlON FILED MAY 22, 1915.

Patented Dec. 28, 1915.

3 SHEETS-SHEET 3.

COLUMBIA PLANDURAPH CO..\VASHXNGTON, D. c.

UNITED %TATE% PATENT @FFTQE.

SYLVESTER M. ROHRER, OF MAINTTOWOG, WISCONSIN.

LIFE-SAVING RAFT.

Application filed May 22, 1915.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, SYLvEs'rnR M. Rormnn, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Manitowoc, in the county of Manitowoc and State oflVisconsin, have invented certain new and useful Improvements inLife-Saving Rafts, of which the following is a specification, referencebeing had to the accompanyin g drawings.

This invention relates to life saving rafts and has for its primaryobject to provide a device of this character embodying in itsconstruction a multiplicity of buoyancy producing members, and means forassembling said members in the raft structure and preventing theirrelative movement.

The invention has for an additional object to provide a raft for theabove purpose which is capable of sustaining a large number of personswithout being submerged.

The invention has for an additional object to provide improved means formounting oar locks upon the sides and ends of the raft structure andlocking the same in position thereon.

The invention has for a further general object to simplify and improvethe construction of life rafts whereby the several parts thereof may bereadily assembled, the raft, as a whole, providing a very serviceableand efficient device which will occupy but a minimum of space and may beconveniently lowered from the deck of a vessel to the water.

With the above and other objects in view, my invention consists in thenovel features of construction, combinatiomand arrangement of parts tobe hereinafter more fully described, claimed, and illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, in which,

Figure 1 is an end elevation of a life raft constructed in accordancewith the preferred embodiment of my invention; Fig. 2 is a sideelevation thereof; Fig. 8 is a top plan view; Fig. 4 is a section takenon the line l@ of Fig. 1; Fig. 5 is a section taken on the line 5-5 ofFig. 2; Fig. 6 is an enlarged detail section taken on the line 6-6 ofFig. 8; Fig. 7 is a detail vertical section showing a slightly modifiedmanner of mounting tanks in the raft structure; Fig. 8 is a horizontalsection through one of the tanks showing another buoyancy producingmedium which may be employed.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the raft structure proper includesend frames,

generally indicated by the numeral 5, which Specification of LettersPatent.

Patented Dec. 28,1915.

Seria1 No. 29,879.

consist of a plurality of uprights of any desired ornamentalconfiguration, said uprights being connected at their opposite ends bythe horizontally disposed V-shaped bars 6. Upon these V-shaped bars, thelongitudinally extending cleats 7 are disposed, said cleats havingdove-tailed grooves S to receive the V-shaped or clove-tailed bars 6.Each of the cleats 7 is formed with a plurality of spaced seats 9 toreceive the ends of the longitudinally extending slats 10 which aresecurely bolted to the cleats 7 on the bars 6, as indicated at 11. Thereis also provided a plurality of intermediate transversely extendingframe members 12, similar in form and construction to the end frames 5,and these intermediate frames are also provided upon their longitudinaledges with the bars 13, upon which the transversely extending cleats1-1: are engaged, said latter cleats being also provided with seats orrecesses for the reception of the longitudinally extending slats 10which are bolted in place in the manner above referred to.

The ends of the frames 5 and 12 are connected together by longitudinallyextending side frames 15, each of said frames includ ing a centrallongitudinal bar 16 having spaced vertical bracing members 17 securedthereto, said members corresponding in number to the number oftransverse frames and extending above and below the frame bars 16. Thelongitudinal bars 16 of the side frames are connected to the ends of thetransverse frame members by means of the angular bolts 18, the arms ofthe bolts which project upwardly through the openings in the bars 16having nuts threaded thereon and also adapted to clampingly engage eveor loop members 19 and hold the same in place. Through these loopmembers, the chains or cables 20 are engaged, said cables carrying asuitable cork or wood float, indicated at 21. Similar float carryingcables 22 are also arranged in a suitable manner across the end frames 5of the raft structure. It will be observed that the bracing members 17on the bars 16 have their central portions above and below said barsengaged with the respective transverse frames 5 and 12.

Upon the inner side of each of the up rights of the end frames 5 andalso upon the opposite sides of the intermediate frames 12, clove-tailedguides '23 are suitably secured to receive the similarly shaped ribs orbars 2- which are secured to opposite ends of the metal tanks 2:"). Eachof these tanks upon cne side, is also provided with a longitudinallyextending clove-tailed cleat 26 and upon its opposite side with a cleat27 having a dove-tailed recess to receive the clovetailed portion 26 ofthe cleat on an adjacent tank. The outermost side series of tanks 25 arealso provided upon their outer sides with the ribs or bars 26 which areengaged in guides 27 fixed to the inner faces of the side frame bars 16.These bars 26 and 27 are identical with those above described whichconnect the longitudinally extending series of tanks to each other. Inthis manner, it will be understood that the several tanks arranged inthe frame structure of the raft are slidably connected with each other.The bars or cleats 24 on the ends of the tank, of course, engage in theguides 23 on the transverse frame members and serve to hold the severaltanks against rela tive longitudinal movement when assembled. Thesetanks may be provided with suitable valves, indicated at 28, so that aircan be pumped into the same. The top of the raft is also equipped withsuitable oar locks which may be arranged at any desired points on theedges of the raft frame, and to this end, I provide plates or castings29 which are centrally fcrmed in their upper faces with the taperingdove-tailed recesses 30 to receive correspondingly shaped tongues orlugs 32 which are formed upon the metal body portions 31 of the oiler.In these body portions the ear receiving members 33 are rotatablymounted.

The body portion 31 of each of the oar locks 33 is provided with a notchor recess, indicated at 34, to receive a locking pawl 35 which ispivctally mounted upon the plate 29. This locking pawl effectivelyprevents the accidental disconnection of the car lock body from theplate 29. At suitable points, preferably at op osite ends of the raftstructure, I-bolts 36 are secured thereto for the convenient attachmentof chains or cables 37 whereby the raft may be lowered from the deck ofa vessel to the surface of the water.

In Fig. 7 of the drawings, I have shown a slightly different manner ofmounting the buoyancy producing tanks in the raft structure, in whichthe upper and lower cleats 7 and 14, which connect the slats 10. areprovided upon their inner faces with guide flanges 38 to receiveshoulders or proiections formed upon the lugs 39 which are fixed t0 theends of the metal tanks The intermediate guides upon the transverseframes 5 and 12 and the ends of the tanks, similar to those abovereferred to, are also provided. Howe er, in this construction. insteadof providing the sliding onnections on the sides of the tanks, suitableeyes 40 are fixed thereto, through which retaining bolts are adapted tobe inserted to prevent a relative longitudinal shifting movement of theseveral tanks and the raft frame.

In Fig. 8 of the drawings, I have disclosed another manner of producingthe necessary buoyancy, and instead of using air inthe tanks, I providea casing of canvas or other flexible material shown at 42, provided witha longitudinal lacing 43 to secure the meeting edges thereof togetherand also with end flaps or covers 44, one half of which is free orunsecured permanently to the ends of the body of the case but are alsodesigned to be laced or otherwise detachably secured thereto. In thiscanvas casing, the framework 45 is adapted to be arranged centrallythereof, and the bars of said frame are provided with a plurality ofopenings. Cork filling blocks 46 entirely fill the canvas casing uponopposite sides of this frame and are adapted to be secured to this frameby means of pins indicated at 47 and also to each other by similar pins.After the casing has been arranged with the cork, the separated portionsare laced together and as a whole is inserted into the tank 25. Thismeans for producing the necessary buoyancy, while somewhat moreexpensive than the use of air, is, on the other hand, more reliable andwill accomplish the necessary purpose in a very satisfactory manner.

From the foregoing description, taken in connection with theaccompanying drawings, it will be seen that I have produced a verysimple and durable life saving raft which is comparatively light inweight and which will have a maximum of buoyancy so that it will supporta large number of persons without submergence.

The invention is designed to be carried by large steamships or otherocean-going vessels. The metal tanks are completely housed and protectedwithin the frame structure of the raft and injury thereto, by floatingobjects striking the same, is effectually overcome. It will, of course,be obvious that the raft may be made in various sizes and that the formof the several parts employed in the framework can be varied as desired.The invention is also susceptible of other modification in the form,proportion and arrangement of its various parts and I, therefore,reserve the privilege of resorting to all such legitimate changes as maybe fairly embodied within the spirit and scope of the invention asclaimed.

Having thus fully described my invention, what I desire to claim andsecure by Letters Patent is 1. In a raft, side and end members connectedtogether to produce a rectangular frame structure, spaced series oflongitudinally extending slats connecting the end frame members to eachother, a plurality of intermediate transverse uprights secured to theside frame members, a pluralityof tanks containing a buoyancy producingmedium, means on the ends of the tanks and the end and transverse framemembers for supporting said tanks in position between the two series ofslats, and means on the sides of the respective tanks to effect asliding interlocking connection between the several tanks.

2. In a raft, side and end members connected together to produce arectangular frame structure, a plurality of intermediate spaced framemembers secured at their ends to said side members, spaced series oflongitudinally extending slats secured to the end and intermediate framemembers, a plurality of metal tanks containing a buoyancy producingmedium arranged between the two series of slats, said tanks and the endand intermediate frame members being provided with interlocking means tosupport the tanks in position, the outer series of tanks and the sidemembers of the frame being also provided with interlocking means, andadditional means on the several tanks to effect an interlockingconnection between the same.

In testimony whereof I hereunto aflix my signature in the presence oftwo witnesses.

SYLVESTER M. ROHRER.

Witnesses:

IRA F. SMITH, FRANK POLEN.

Copies of this patent may he obtained for five cents each, by addressingthe Commissioner of Patents, Washington, D. G.

